Soap lather dispenser



April 15, 1941. M J, PETER 2,238,449

SOAP LATIER DISPENSER Filed DGO. 12, 1938 i INVENTOR. Marr/f1 J Paf@ f5 BY @ya ATTQRNY,

Patented Apr. 15, 1941 SOAP LATHER DISPENSER Martin J. Peters, New York, N. Y., assignor to Moore Brothers Company, New York, N. Y., a

Vcorporation of New York f Application December 12, 193s, serial No. 245,181

s claims. (c1. zes- 83) This invention relates toL improvements in valves, and more particularly to soap lather dispensers. This invention is particularly directed as an improvement upon Patent No. 1,726,402 dated August 27, 1929.

Objects Among the principal objects which the present invention has in view are: to provide an improved device for discharging soap in lather condition; to provide a device with chambers in which liquid soap is converted into a soap lather and be discharged therefrom; to utilize a means for converting liquid soap into a soap lather; to

confine the parts within the usual external dimensions of present day soap dispensers of this type; to providea device having minimum parts and which may easily be disassembled for replacing worn parts; to secure simplicity of construction and operation; and to obtain other advantages and results as may be brought out in the following description.

Drawing Figure 1 is a central longitudinal sectional view of the improved valve and showing the parts thereof in normal relationship; y

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure l and showing the valve in operable position for dis- Figure 5 is an enlarged transverse sectionalf view shown as taken on line 5-5 of Figure 3; and

Figure 6 is an enlarged elevation of the two parts comprising the control assemblage,

Description In the specific embodiment of theinvention illustrated in said drawing, the reference numeral I0 indicates the valve or soap lather dispenser as comprising a cylindrical or tubular member preferably of metal, having openings at each end. One of these ends, herein designated for convenience as the supply end, as I I, isy internally threaded at I2 `for effecting a connection of the tubular member with a source of supply pipe I3 which leads to a reservoir (not shown) containing liquid soap. The member I0, adjacent the threaded supply end, is provided with a transverse partition I4 having a central'passage I5 extending therethrough vlongitudinally I of the member. The partition, adjacent said passage, provides a valve seat I6 at one end of the passage and a similar seat I'I at the opposite end of said passage.

Axially coincident with said member I0 and said central passage I5 of partition I4 is a reciprocable male valve assembly I I!Y preferably also cylindrical and composed of a plurality of parts for convenience of manufacture and assembly. Said valve assembly is shown as comprising an elongated cylindrical body portion I9 with a valve head 20 thereon at the far side of partition I4 from the supply end of the member adapted to engage and close against valve seat I'I. A central threaded bore 2| through this valvehead well into the body portion I9 receives a stem 22 which projects throughthe passage I5 toward the supply end. Said stem is equipped with a head `23 within saidLsupply end of the member III,V saidhead having atapered valve-seat-en- `gaging portion 24 adapted to engage valve seat 'tance between the seating portions of valve heads 2Il` and 23 is greater than the thickness oi partition I4`thereby enabling the valve assembly I '8 to have a limited range of longitudinal movement and alternately close the passage I5 at opposite ends thereof.

yWithin the cylindrical member I0, forward of said partition I4, is a piston 2l snugly fitting the preferably cylindrical bore of said member.

vThis piston may conveniently comprise a stepped body portion 28 providing a reduced neck on 'which is screwed a nut 2'9 for clamping a cupped fibre or other ypiston ring 30 thereon for effecting the said snug t with the cylindrical bore of member I0. Within said bore is a spring 3I bearing at one end against the nut 29, and bearing at its other end against partition I4 thereby exerting pressure to slide the piston away from the partition. Within this spring 3l is a smaller spring 32'encircling the valve assembly body portion and bearing at one end against said piston andat its other end against a split collar 33 on said body portion next valve head 20 which retains said split collar from displacement longitudinally.

Piston 21 has a central passage 34 longitudinally'through the same of a size sunicient to permit valve head 20 to be pressed therethrough when assembling the device. Said passage 34 is accordingly of greater diameter than the body portion I9 of the valve assembly I8, thereby permitting liquid soap to pass through. However, the forward end of said body portion I9 provides a flaring valve surface 35 opposite said passage and adapted to engage the end of the piston around the passage as a seat whereby flow is prevented when the piston moves forward to effect such engagement.

Forwardly of the piston is a plunger 36, the rear portion of which ts and slides within the cylindrical bore of member I and the forward end of which protrudes therefrom and has its extremity shaped as a linger-piece 31 forv manual depression in use. Said plunger has a keyway '38 longitudinally disposed at one side thereof for engagement b-y a radially disposed screw 39 in the member I0 both for preventing rotation of said plunger and for limiting outward displacement thereof. The inner end of said plunger is reduced in diameter and threaded to receive a nut 40 thereon and by which a sealing ring 4I of fibre or other material is secured on the plunger for maintaining a slidable seal between the plunger and bore of themember I0. A spring 42 is situated within the said bore, bearing at its ends against the nut 40 on the plunger and against the piston respectively. This spring when expanded with the plunger at its outermost position exerts considerably less pressure on the piston, than the opposed spring 3|, and

thus, the piston is normally situated in its for- Y ward position as shown in Figure 1 when the plunger is forward. However, when the plunger is depressed, outer spring 42 first cocmpresses and eventually exceeds the resistive force of inner spring 3| and obtains an inward sliding of the piston as a result.

Plunger 36 has a central bore or chamber 43 from its rear end to adjacent its forward end, and next said forward end is a discharge nozzle 44 communicating with the said chamber. Said nozzle may conveniently comprise a short length of tubing threaded into a bottom opening through the wall of the plunger and depending therefrom.

As an important feature of the present invention, means are provided for so agitating the liquid soap as to cause the soap to discharge from the nozzle as a lather. For this purpose I have shown a plurality of thimble-like strainers 45 situated in sequence within the said chamber 43 from substantially the inner end thereof to the said nozzle. The liquid soap in passing through the plunger has to pass consecutively through these thimble-like strainers and becomes churned more and more asit approaches the outlet nozzle. By placing these strainers within the plunger, the longitudinal and diametrical, dimensions of the device are not increased substantially over the usual dimensions of soap dispensers of this general ejectment type. It is likewise practical to replace the strainers as may become necessary in use.

In operation, liquid soap is supplied by gravity or otherwise continuously by supply pipe I3. After the device is once used, liquid soap will be within the bore of member I0 and Within chamber 43. The parts are at rest in the positions shown in Fig. 1 with inner valve head 23 closed against its seat I6 by virtue of spring 3I, and valve head closed against the seat on the piston by virtue of the piston being slit to its forward position. lNow as plunger 36 is depressed, small spring 32 still retains this last mentioned valve head 35 closed even as forward spring 42 effects an inward sliding of the piston until the intermediate valve head 20 engages its seat I1. Further depression of the plunger as shown in Fig. 2 then pumps the soap from between piston 21 and partition I4 to pass through passage 34 thereof into the area. occupied by forward spring 42 and into chamber 43, and thence to discharge as a lather Vfrom nozzle 44 by virtue of interposed strainers 45. During this interval both springs 3| and 32 are acting in opposition to further sliding of the piston, so the piston hesitates during a further considerable depression of the plunger. When the plunger is at about the inner end of its stroke, outer spring 42 becomes so tightly compressed the piston moves further and then outer valve 35 is unseated with respect to the piston.

Upon release from manual depression, plunger 36 returns to its outermost or normal position of Fig. 1, and in so doingpermits piston 21 to again move forward and suck in a new supply of soap behind the piston from the supply pipe during the interval that outer valve 35 is closed under inuence of small spring 32 and intermediate valve 26 opens and before inner valve 23 closes. It is to be particularly noted that on the depression stroke of the plunger, the approach of the plunger toward the piston functions first, and ejects soap from the nozzle, the piston remaining still. Thereafter the outer spring compresses enough to obtain an initial `sliding of the piston without opening the valve 35 thereof until intermediate valve 20 is closed and the plunger depressed much further. On the return stroke of the plunger, the valve assembly remains still until the piston moves out to engage outer valve 35 closing the passage through the piston but with suiicient interval to permit soap to be sucked through the piston before such closing. The inward shift of the piston with respect to the valve assembly takes place at the innermost end vof the plunger stroke and during a very small proportion of the plunger stroke and preferably during a period less than a tenth of the plunger stroke. The piston, however, is given its initial inward movement when the plunger is perhaps about half Way of its stroke but carries the valve assembly inward with it until intermediate valve 20 is closed, at which position the piston hesitates (both outer valve 35 and intermediate valve being closed during the hesitation) until outer spring 42 is so tightly compressed the final movement of the piston is Veffected which results in the shifting of the piston with respect to valve assembly I8. Then and then only is outer valve 35 opened. On the return stroke, however, the piston tends to lag'and the outer valve has a longer open period Vthan on the forward stroke of the plunger.

I claim:

1. A device for dispensing quantities of liquid soap, comprising a soap-receiving member having its interior separated by a movable piston, a valve in said piston for effecting a controlled passage of soap from one side of the piston to the other, a plunger positioned in one end of said member, springs o-n opposite sides of said piston,'one of said springs also engaging said plunger and a third spring of less resistance than one of said other springs encircling the valve opposed to the spring engaging the plunger during part of the movement of the piston, said third spring tending to close thev valve with respect to the piston, and all said springs being related-for enabling varying pressures to be applied to the soap, comprising a soap-receiving member having piston and successively move the piston with the Valve closed and move the piston With the valve open.

2. A device for dispensing quantities of liquid soap, comprising a soap-receiving member having its interior separated by a movable piston, a valve in said piston for eiecting a controlled passage of soap from one side of the piston to the other, a `plunger having a chamber positioned in one end of said member, springs on opposite sides of said piston, one of said springs also engaging said plunger and a third spring of less resistance than one of said springs encircling the valve op# posed tothe spring engaging the plunger during part of the movement to the piston, a split collar on said valve, said third spring tending to close the valve with respect to the piston and engaging the split collar to retain the same against displacement, and all said springs being related for enabling varying pressures to be applied to the piston and successively move the piston with the valve closed and move the piston with the valve open.

3. A device for dispensing quantities of liquid its interior separated by a movable piston, a valve in said piston for effecting a controlled passage of soap from one side of the piston to the other, a

plunger having a chamber positioned in one end g of said member, springs on opposite sides of said piston, one of said springs also engaging said plunger and a third spring of less resistance than one of said springs encircling the Valve opposed to the spring engaging the plunger during part of the movement to the piston, a split collar on said valve, said third spring tending to close the valve with respect to the piston and engaging the split collar to retain the same against displacement, and all said springs being related'for enabling varying pressures to be applied to the piston and successively move the piston With the Valve closed and move the piston with the valve open, and said chamber in said plunger having a plurality of strainers for agitating the vsoap into a lather prior to discharge therefrom when the said valve is in closed position.

MARTIN J. PETERS. 

